If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: Trans Pecos Rat Snake

I think they're really cool looking snakes and their husbandry fits in well with the other snakes i have. I may be getting one in the future.

Does anyone here have one? Please post pics if you do and i also welcome any helpful tips or advice. Also, does anyone know a good breeder? I would prefer a blonde Trans Pecos morph.

Thank you.

Dave Katz breeds them. Google DK Reptiles and/or Dave Katz for his contact info. I've been to his facility and seen his animals. Dave is a stand-up guy with great stock. you can't go wrong dealing with him.

As for their husbandry - there's a lot NOT on the cookie-cutter care sheets that prospective owners should be aware of.

(1) They need it dry. Subocs come from an arid environment where they have a limited exposure to bacteria. This means that they have a very weak defense over common bacterial infections.

It used to be de rigeur that suboc owners had unexplained casualties. We all went through it. Through trial and error the suboc community gradually found that the best way to keep them was dry, and with a lot of ventilation. I keep mine in either tubs that are so riddled with holes they look like they were sprayed with buckshot, or in screened cages. Always keep in mind they are a ventilation-hungry species.

(2) They are prone to gastric infections. Whether or not they are a by-product of eating a rodent based diet is still unknown. There is a theory circulating that they have issues digesting whole rodents - especially the skins. Some owners have experimented with pre-slicing open rodents, breaching the skin with multiple cuts, or in my case, abandoning rodents and feeding them an alternative diet.

I've noticed that since going on a non-rodent diet that their feces doesn't stink as much and they digest their meals much quicker.

There is an excellent article in the latest Herp Nation magazine that touches on the captive care of the other Bogertophis species - the rosaliae. In it, the low bacterial resistance and dietary issues are discussed in much better depth and breadth than I could ever hope to cover here. The next issue of the magazine will cover subocs and these articles are being written by someone who is probably the foremost authority on these snakes - Dusty Rhoads

........and yes, the husbandry challenges between subocs and rosaliae are pretty much identical.

Anyway, you can Google for pics. Here's one of mine from a few years ago:

Thank you so much for the info. I had read about their need for lots of ventilation, but it was unclear why. Good to learn that it was because they need dry arid air. I was not aware of their gastric infection problem. What do you feed them instead of rodents? Lizards?

Re: Trans Pecos Rat Snake

Originally Posted by slitheringdead

Thank you so much for the info. I had read about their need for lots of ventilation, but it was unclear why. Good to learn that it was because they need dry arid air. I was not aware of their gastric infection problem. What do you feed them instead of rodents? Lizards?

Yeah. I have an endless supply of western fence lizards................

Again, read the article in Herp Nation - Part One of the Bogertophis series about the potential digestion issues.

I don't have an issue feeding my adults smaller rodent items - the problems I had were with younger animals. They would get these horrible smelling feces and then gastric infections. Necropsies showed gastric issues not related to parasites. Our vet did some research and found some information on bogertophis and digestion issues/gastric infections.

I talked to several other keepers and found varying levels of incidence among them. Just about everyone I talked to had at least a few unexplained die-offs.

In terms of ventilation, the idea is to limit the amount of bacteria in the enclosure.

These are intermediate animals in terms of husbandry. If you keep them well ventilated, dry and mind their diets, they do well.

Re: Trans Pecos Rat Snake

Hmm, i'll definitely have to do more research and think about if i'm ready to keep an intermediate level snake. I don't think i am, so i'll hold off for a long while. Thanks again for the info and references.